A number of adult students who completed courses this year through UCD's "Continuing Education" programme were annoyed and dismayed at their graduation ceremony in Dublin earlier this month. The continuing-education department, which provides multidisciplinary and advanced technology courses to meet the advanced training and continuing education needs of industry, business and other organisations, did not allow children under 12 into the graduation ceremony at O'Reilly Hall in UCD.

In spite of individual protests, a number of spouses, relatives and friends (including this writer) who had come to the graduation ceremony were left to stand outside in the lobby to wander about and keep their young charges company.

Anne-Marie Harvey, manager of the continuing-education programme, refused to allow young children into the hall because, she explained, there had been complaints last year about children making noise during the ceremony. She said it was quite clear in the literature, which was sent out to the recipients of certificates and diplomas, that children would not be allowed in.

However, though the invitations did state that only one guest per "candidate-recipient" would be permitted, those who stood outside waiting - having travelled from places such as Wexford, Sligo and Waterford - did not agree. There was no mention of children in the documents they had received, they said. As they waited for about 90 minutes for the ceremony to conclude, they said they felt cheated and upset. "I have been to previous graduation ceremonies and there was never a problem. They should have stated it clearly - it wasn't clear on the literature. I came as an invitee and I spent an hour-and-a-half walking around outside," said Catriona Malone from Dublin, who sat in the lobby with her nine-month-old daughter, Claire. Inside the hall, her husband was conferred - with no one there to applaud or take a photograph.

"It spoiled the day for me," she said. "It was a bit of a waste to bring your child along and then not be allowed in."

Eilish Culleton, from Wexford, was also unhappy as she carried her three-week-old baby in a portable car seat around the grounds outside, waiting for her husband to emerge with his scroll. "I feel annoyed. If there was such a strong policy, why was it not put on the invitation?" Deirdre Foran, too, sat there with her two young children while her husband was inside. They had made an effort to include the children in the day, she said, but they had to stay outside.

More than 400 certificates and diplomas were presented in a range of areas, including safety, health and welfare at work, European environmental conservation management, environmental impact assessment management, rural environmental management and injury management and fitness in sport. Continuing education is part of UCD's University Industry Programme.